DMH Enterprises: Metal Shop

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Metal Shop

The Untold Story

Metal Shop was originally formed in the year 1981 in Akron, Ohio. The brainchild of it's founding members Guitarist Rikki Ratchet and Singer Michael Diamond.

Both were sophomores at Lincoln Park High School at the time playing in competing groups. One day following the annual "Battle of the Bands" the two High School rock stars were in class (Metal shop) arguing about who's group was better and why neigher band had won, when suddenly it donned on them to join forces. Metal Shop was forged!

Metal Shop was an immediate success playing backyard keg parties, school lunches and one legendary performance at the Akron County Fair where the band's first real break came.

During the final encore of the show, as Rikki smashed his Kramer Strat, a mysterious stranger slipped Rickki's Guitar tech "Animal" a note.

After the gig, as the band loaded their equipment into several mini trucks, "Animal" read the note to the band "You guys are stars, call me on Monday, Mark Varny Shrapnel Records" and the rest is history.

Metal Shop released their first album titled Three Wicked Kings in the summer of 1983. After selling 6000 copies overseas, Metal Shop headed out on their first European tour, but sadly enough the tour had to be cut short due to Michael getting a severe case of food poisoning.

Metal Shop returned to the studio in 1984 for their second album, to emerge a year later with a sophomore effort called Ultra Ear .. unfortunately the album went plywood. The band sites "personality conflicts and drugs" for this disappointing record.

1985 was here and Metal Shop needed a new record but the band didn't want the constraints of the atmosphere of another studio album, so they took a complete 48 track digital recorder on the road and later that year released their biggest selling record to date entitled Take No Prisoners. This was a music industry first, no only because it was the first digital live album, but it was released on Thanksgiving Day as a Double Live E.P.

Then in 1987 Metal Shop called it quits and went their separate ways, Rikki went out to Hollywood and while attending G.I.T. he played in several bands like Helix, Brittany Fox, and Krokus he also won the Floyd Rose Guitar competition at the NAMM show 5 years in a row.

Michael went the other direction, to New York, where he earned a living parking cars while he studied modeling and classical dance.

It seemed there was no hope of a Metal Shop reunion, when through a strange twist of fate in March of 1996 both Rikki and Michael showed up in L.A. to audition for the new Rudy Sarzo solo project.

The Dynamic Duo knew what they had to do - they enlisted a new Bass Player, Ginger Roxx, three time winner of Bill Gazzarri's "Foxiest Guy on the Sunset Strip" contest and suck power rock bands from Hollywood as Lixx Array, Brunette, Sin (not Rik Foxx's Sin), Bang Bang, and Mozart.

Then to complete the ensemble they recruited South Dakota born powerhouse Drummer know as "Blackhead" or his native American name "Dances with Leatherwolf" who's impressive touring credits include Udo Dirkscnider, Warlock, Survivor, The Vinnie Vincent Invasion, and Gorky Park.

The new lineup has recently finished a demo tape that is rumored to be stirring up major label interest from both Atlantic and Arista records, but for now the band is so excited to get out and perform for a live audience they've decided to put the original music on the back burner and leave the record deals to the lawyers and managers.

Metal Shop's powerful stage performance is a direct result of years of experience and eclectic influences including Ratt, Motley Crue, Poison, Warrant, Cinderella, Dokken, and Twisted Sister.

Now for the first time in ten years, Metal Shop is ready once again to "Take No Prisoners" with their classic blend of melodic power rock and progressive metal blues. Metal Shop is sure to make sparks fly!

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